Third Reich
The Third Reich (A.K.A "Nazi Germany") was a period of time from 1933-1945 where Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party was in control of the government. Under the rule of the Hitler, Germany was under a totalitarian fascist state and it controlled virtually all aspects of life for the German people. 'History' After the defeat of Germany during World War 1, the economics of the German people suffered greatly. They were in a terrible debt and reparation damages were to be repaired. The French occupied the German industrial sector leading to civil unrest and riots. The National Socialist German Worker's Party (NSDAP or Nazi Party) founded in 1919 was one of several political parties to have been active in Germany at the time. The Nazi Party eventually overthrew the current Weimar Republic, increased anti-Semitism and even rejected the terms for the Treaty of Versailles. 'Military Branches' Being a totalitarian society, the Third Reich is run by the military and there is a variety of different branches that are assigned different projects. Wehrmacht The primary military of the Third Reich, known as the Wehrmacht (Defense Force) started back in 1935. Originally known as the Reichswehr during the reign of the Weimar Republic, the name Wehrmacht became known because the name was denoted from the name Britische Wehrmacht or the British Armed Forces. The Werhmacht was also known for their usage of the Blitzkrieg (Lightning War) during World War 2. *'Heer:' The land military forces of the Wehrmacht during World War 2, also known as the German Army. It was responsible for fighting in the war. It ceased to exist by the year 1945. *'Panzerwaffe:' The Panzerwaffe was the sub branch of the Heer during World War 2. It was responsible for the usage of motorized warfare, such as with the use of Tanks and other vehicles. *'Kriegsmarine:' The Wehrmacht's branch of the military responsible for combat that was fought in the sea. This branch manned craft such as the German battleships and even their advanced U-Boats. *'Luftwaffe:' The Air Force branch of the Wehrmacht, responsible for fighting in aerial combat and known to be one of the most experienced fighting forces of Nazi Germany during the fighting in Europe. Sturmabteilung & Schutzstaffel The elite branches of the Nazi Party known as the SA (Sturmabteilung) and the SS (Schutzstaffel) are the most infamous branches of the Nazi Party to have ever been formed. *'Sturmabteilung:' English translation being the "Storm Detachment or Assault Division" primarily known as the "Brownshirts", were the originally branch of paramilitary for the Nazi Party. Formed back in 1921, the SA was charged with the tasks of protecting Nazi leaders at rallies and assemblies, disrupting opposing forces political rallies and even started the intimidation of targeted ethnic groups that would soon be the subject of a mass genocide (e.g. The Holocaust). This branch of the military was composed of over a million men, violating the Treaty of Versailles law of only 100,000 men. By 1934, Hitler had ordered the "Blood Purge" causing the SS to kill off SA officers and troops during the infamous "Night of the Long Knives". *'Schutzstaffel:' Arguably the most infamous and most brutal force of the Nazi Party, the SS was known to have carried out the orders of SS Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler. These troops were also known to be the ones who believed in Hitler's laws on racial purity, as well as were responsible for the Holocaust of over 6,000,000 people. This branch of the military was targeted by the Allied Forces and many who were affiliated with the branch were tried and sentenced to death because of their crimes against humanity. During the war, the SS was responsible for the operations of the concentration camps within Nazi Occupied Europe. They even commenced operations involving unethical science and medical research. Due to Hitler's obsession with the occult, the SS was ordered to travel and search for artifacts that he believed would win Germany the whole war. **'Waffen SS:' The armed wing of the Schutzstaffel, the Waffen SS was responsible for going on the offensive. Commencing secret operations against the enemies of the Third Reich, this branch of 38 divisions engaged enemy troops on the Eastern and Western Fronts. 'Weapons of the Third Reich' During the reign of the Third Reich, Germany had introduced a variety of new weapons which they issued to troops during World War 2. These of course ranged from sidearms to wonder weapons. SS Ceremonial Dagger.jpg|S.S. Ceremonial Dagger Arm Blades.jpg|Arm Blades C96 Mauser.png|Mauser C96 Luger P08.jpg|Luger P08 Walther PP.jpg|Walther PP Walther P38.jpg|Walther P38 MP40.jpg|MP40 Kar98k.jpg|Kar98k Airsoft STG.jpg|STG-44 MG34.jpg|MG-34 MG-42.jpg|MG-42 Panzerschreck.jpg|Panzerschreck Ray Gun.png|Ray Gun Wunderwaffe DG-2.jpg|Wunderwaffe DG-2 KammerJager DGX.jpg|KammerJager DGX DX-4 Plasma Rifle.jpg|DX-4 Plasma Rifle Steilhandgranate Model 24.jpg|Stielhangranate Model 24 The Monkey Bomb.png|Monkey Bomb *'S.S. Ceremonial Dagger:' The S.S. Ceremonial Dagger was a weapon issued to members of the Schutzstaffel as a symbol of loyalty until the bitter end for Nazi, Germany. *'Arm Blades:' Weapons designed by Group 935, Arm Blades are the one of the standard issued weapons used by Blitz Troopers. *'Mauser C96:' A German classic well from before the start of World War 1, the Mauser C96 served from 1896, until the year 1961. *'Luger P08:' An iconic pistol that came out in the early days of World War 1, the Luger P08 was introduced during the World War 1 and by World War 2, however was replaced by the Walther P38. *'Walther PP:' A small semi-automatic pistol first produced back in the late 20s, the Walther PP became a standard issued sidearm for law enforcement officers such as police. *'Walther P38:' A successful replacement for the more unreliable Luger, the Walther P38 is a pistol that remains popular to this very day. *'MP40:' The German equivalent to the American Thompson Submachine Gun, the MP40 was the standard issued submachine gun of the Nazi military throughout World War 2. *'Kar98k:' A shorter variant of the Gewehr 98 produced by Mauser, the Kar98k was a powerful and accurate bolt-action rifle issued to troops. *'STG-44:' The world's first assault rifle, the STG-44 was considered a revolutionary breakthrough in military technology during the early 1940s. *'MG-34:' A major improvement in the usage of machine gun technology, the MG-34 was the standard issued general purpose machine gun of the Third Reich until it was replaced during the early 40s. *'MG-42:' The weapon that replaced the MG-34, the MG-42 has made it's mark as the fastest shooting machine gun ever designed. *'Panzerschreck:' A somewhat larger version of the American Bazooka, the Panzerschreck was designed as an anti-armor weapon. *'Ray Gun:' A small but powerful energy based weapon, the Ray Gun is a lethal dose of unconventional energy with a single shot. *'Wunderwaffe DG-2:' A rifle based weapon with energy blasts, the Wunderwaffe DG-2 is a 3 round semi-automatic energy rifle that fires an electrical chain shot. *'Kammerjager DGX:' An energy rifle based on the STG-44, the Kammerjager DGX is a powerful and experimental prototype that was issued to Krieger. *'DX-4 Plasma Rifle:' Another experimental rifle based energy weapon, the DX-4 Plasma Rifle is issued to the Nazi soldiers known as Blitz Troopers. *'Stielhandgranate Model 24:' A stick type hand grenade issued to the German military since World War 1. *'Monkey Bomb:' A specially designed timed explosive designed and developed by Group 935. 'Advances & The Occult' During the war, the Nazis were ordered by Hitler who was obsessed with ordered his Nazi followers to seek artifacts of great power in hopes of winning the war. He mostly called upon the Schutzstaffel to carry out such operations and expeditions over the world. Group 935 led by Edward Richtofen was the major group that was experimenting with new technologies and weapons in order to win the war. Category:German Factions Category:Factions